Dealing with power issues

Power will define the contours of the political commitment and morality of the new coalition government in Meghalaya.

Power will define the contours of the political commitment and morality of the new coalition government in Meghalaya. While, on the one hand, it will decide whether the NCP-United Democratic Party (UDP)-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) keeps its promises to the electorate made before the March Assembly election, on the other hand, it will test the ethical stance of the alliance, which upstaged the Congress to come to power.

The parties had ganged up against the Congress and condemned it for a “total sellout” of six power projects to private companies. All non-Congress parties promised to scrap the controversial deal if they formed the government. But after UDP President Donkupar Roy was sworn in as Chief Minister of the Government on March 19, he appeared wobbly when asked if his Government would honour the commitment.

The previous Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) coalition government of D.D. Lapang had awarded the power projects to Satyapal Dharmapal, J.P. Groups, Athena and ETA Star Infrastructure Limited on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. The companies were given a gestation period of 40 years, after which they had to be transferred to the government.

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Roy had no reason to fumble as his party and its coalition allies—NCP, BJP and KHNAM—had accused the MDA government of a “total sellout”. Ironically, UDP and KHNAM were part of the MDA government, but nonetheless forced Lapang to put the deals on hold and institute a special committee headed by Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee to review the deals.

So, when Roy said, “I will have to consult my allies and also study the review report of the special committee and accordingly decide”, he conveyed that the parties, including his UDP, were not conversant enough with the deal, but used it against the Congress to gain electoral mileage.

In a state where the potential of power generation far outweighs its supply, private players will have to be invited for tapping the energy. Roy acknowledges this, but as to how the Government will go about executing it will depend on its political sagacity and commitment to transparency.

For now, Roy and his allies have an onerous task. If they decide to carry on with the deals, it will raise more questions than Roy could answer.

For Date Line stories, visit expressindia.com/dateline

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